Mattressing



Dec. 17, 1935. s. Rosl-:NFELD 2,024,307

MATTRES S ING Filed April 7, 1934 s snets-shee: 1

S. Rosnfe www #Mw orneys.

Dec. 17, 1935. s. RosENFELD 2,024,307

MATTRES S I NG Filed April 7, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 17, 1935. s, RQSENFELD 2,024,307

MATTRESSING Filed April 7, 1954 3 Sheets-3h66?. 3

Invnor .5'. Ewen/fe@ Patented Dec. 17, 1935 [UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application April 7, 1934, Serial No. 719,558 In France April 8, 1933 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to an independent spring mattress construction obtained by a suitable assemblybf flexible elements made of wire which are all similar to each other and are such that any number of them can be joined `together to form a sheet of any desired length and breadth which is rugged, light, nondeformable, silent, sanitary, easy to keep in repair and to clean. y 0 Spring mattresses are already known in which metal is used alone or in combination with other substances; they are usually not very comfortable, heavy and noisy, diilicult to keep in repair and clean and consequently insanitary. To cover the upper surface of the springs it is necessary to accumulate diverse materials to ill the empty spaces, thus increasing the weight and retaining dust. As for mattresses formed of a metal sheet stretched at its ends on a metal or wooden frame, they are particularly noisy and undergo very rapidly deformations which become permanent.

These drawbacks are obviated by the construction according to the invention based on the use of resilient elements made of wire each having the shape of a recumbent M, which are deformed separately and can be attened to more than 75% of their original height, without their various parts touching each o ther and without adjacent elements coming into contact, so that no noise is heard; the action of the loads is always transmitted to a certain number of elements which do not resist singly but as a whole, thereby avoiding permanent deformations of said elements and consequently of the mattress. On the other hand, the upper surface of said mattress which is formed by the upper horizontal arms of the recumbent M-shaped elements is regular and does not require complicated upholstery; moreover, said surface can be left flat, or curvedat will. Furthermore, as the whole mattress construction is made up of identical elements made in ser1es, the manufacture is simple and economical without taking into account the fact that the whole construction is exible, light and easy to keep in repair.

In order that the invention shall be properly understood, some particular embodiments have been described hereinafter, but only by way of example, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l shows in perspective a resilient element alone, in the unstressed state, constituted by a recumbent M-shaped wire, and

Figure 2 shows the same element assumed to be flexed under the action of a load.

- Figure 3 shows the method of assembling the upper horizontal arm of two elements toiorm the beginning of a row, and

Figure 4 is a perspective view before mounting of a rivet serving for the assembly according to Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a part of the upper surface of the mattress construction obtained by assembling several rows, and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a portion of said mattress construction.

Figure 7 shows a usual spacing piece serving for the assembly of the mattress, and

Figures 8 to 11 illustrate modifications of assembly spacing pieces.

Figures 12 and 13 are perspective views showl5 ing the method of mounting a suspended spring mattress construction.

Figure 14 is adiagrammatic gure corresponding to a modified form of the unit of Figure l.

Figures 15 and 16 are modified forms of the zo unit having a different shape.

Figure 17 is a diagrammatic view of a unit of double height, and

Figure 18 is a diagrammatic view of two units of the type shown in Figure 17 assembled to form as a row on the Nuremberg scissor principle.

Referring to Figure 1, it will be seen that the resilient metallic unit E, preferably made of steel wire known as piano wire, has, as a whole, the shape of a recumbent M, having two horizontal 3o arms, an upper one 2 and a lower one 2a, and two inclined arms 3 and 3a; this unit is formed with, for example, seven coils, one at each of the three angles, one at the outer end of each horizontal arm, and one on each horizontal arm 35 intermediate the ends thereof.

The diameter of the coils, as well as the number of turns thereof can vary, but in general the coils 4- and 5, 4a and 5a, at the ends of the horizontal arms 2 and 2a, have the same number 40 of turns; the intermediate coils 6, 6a and 1 also have the same number of turns as each other, the coils 4, 4a and 5, 5a having always a number of turns equal or less than half that of the coils 6, 6a and 1. The coils 4 and 5, 4a and 5a are 45 the coils for coupling the units E, E1, to each other; the coil 5 connected to the coil 41 of the adjacent element E1 (Fig. 3) gives a number of turns less than or equal to that of the coils 6 and 'l oi each unit E. Several units, thus coupled 50 consecutively to each other, form a row T, the appearance of which in plan view, in fret form, is given by Figure 3; the coupling can be effected by means of tubular rivets 8 (Figs. 3 and 4) or by any other suitable means.

The coils 4, 5, 6, 4a, 5a, 6a of each unit E are turned so as to be inside the unit in order that after final assembly all the wires 2 on the one hand, and all the wires 2a on the other hand are in the same horizontal plane and constitute the smooth outer surfaces (upper and lower) of the mattress construction without projecting coilsor parts; as illustrated, the two parallel arms 2, 2a are symmetrical with respect to the axis of the lM so as to enable the units to be turned round.

The direction of winding of the wire of the coils is as indicated in Figure 1, such as to ensure that the unit is in equilibrium, the various rectilinear horizontal parts of which are in pairs in two parallel vertical planes.

The coils 5, 5a and 1 which are at the ends of the acute angle of the M, form the essential resilient portions of each E unit. 'I'hey offer a resistance to the collapsing of the arms 2 and 2a, 3 and 3a under the action of a load, since the collapsing of the said arms tightens these coils in the direction of winding thereof, causing resilient resistance without the deformation shown in Figure 2 remaining permanent after removal of the load.

Each row T (Fig. 3) is obtained by coupling the coil 5 of an E unit with the coil 41 of the following unit E?, adjusting them so that the inclined arm 3 of the first unit E is engaged between said coils 5 and 41. At -the bottom the coil 5a of the unit E is assembled with the corresponding coil 4a of the following unit E1 and likewise in such a manner that the arm 3a is engaged between the said two coils.

This zig-zag coupling maintains the equilibrium of the row T in its plane during the collapsing or the rebounding of the whole row which can have any number of units and consequently any desired length which is a multiple of the length of a unit. The various arms 3 and 3a of the row form parallel chevrons.

The tubular rivet 8 is crimped so as to leave the play necessary for the flexibility of the units. In order to avoid any cause of noise by collision of the ends of the wires of the coils with each other, one or several washers made of copper or even of rubber or other suitable material can be interposed between the coupled coils for reducing the friction between the two coils; the rivet itself can be made of copper or any other suitable material. In particular cases, the coupling can also be made without washers or rivets.

The rows T, T1 and T2 prepared in advance and of the desired length,.are assembled in their turn to form the spring mattress construction.

For this purpose care is taken to reverse from one row to the other the direction of the chevrons 3 and 3a; the branches of the chevrons are turned towards the left for one row T and towards the right for the following row T1 (Fig. 6), and the coils 1 of the even and odd rows are substantially in a straight line. 'I'his reversed mounting makes for the stability of the Whole construction under the action of a load.

The rows T and T1 for example which are placed edgewise are resiliently connected to each other by steel wires or cables 9 passing through the corresponding coils of all the arms 2.

Said cables 9 are illustrated alone in Figure 6, but they would not sufiice for maintaining the spacing of the rows and for fixing same. This is done by means of steel wire spacing pieces or sheaths, the turns of which touch or nearly touch each other and which are threaded on the cables 9 between two adjacent rows; said spacing pieces are illustrated in two particular embodiments in Figures 5, 7 and 8.

Figure 7 shows the spacing piece I0 used preferably as a general spacing piece, that is .to 5 say on all the cables 9, except the marginal ones.

It comprises an outer portion II of inner and outer diameters sucn that it can be threaded on the cables 9 and that it passes through the coils 4, 5 and 6; its length is so calculated that when 10' it passes through one of said coils, which abuts against the portion I2 where the diameter increases, it projects on the other side of the coil by approximately two turns. The other end Il of the spacing piece III is of a diameter such 15 that it can just be threaded on the end II of the adjacent coil of the same cable 9. i

A relatively perfect iixture of the rows is thus obtained while leaving them sufiicient play to enable them to yield to the resilient deforma- 20 tions of the units E.

In Figures 5 and 8, on the end cable 9a, spacing pieces I4 of rather different shape are shown. The length of said spacing pieces is necessarily slightly greater than that of the 25. spacing pieces I0, since the coils 4 and 5 are not doubled as in the body o1' the mattress; their ends are of a diameter such that they penetrate through half the coils 4 or 5 and that they contact therein with the ends of the adjacent 30 spacing pieces. They are of greater diameter at their middle portion and the cable 9a passes freely therein, whereas it only just passes in the ends.

'Ihese spacing pieces could, moreover, have 35 other shapes: two of them are shown in Figures 9 and 10. A steel wire sheath I 5 the turns of which touch each other (Fig. 11) .can also be threaded on the cable 9 consolidating said cable, and other sheaths I6 of greater diameter, out to 40 suitable length and serving .as spacing pieces between the rows can be mounted on the first mentioned sheath between the successive rows. Th sheaths I5 and I6 are integral.

The steel wire spacing pieces or sheaths can 45 be replaced by tubes or groups of rings touching each other made of metal or other suitable material. The cable can be made of textile bres, or a mixture, or replaced by another substance, of animal origin for example, suitable for this 50 purpose. It can be single or multiple with parallel or twisted strands, etc.

In order to maintain the stability of the mean plane of the mattress, a cable with or without a sheath can be passed through the turns 1 which 55 are in the same straight line, but such xing is not absolutely necessary.

Finally, instead of spacing pieces having turns touching each other, turns almost touching each other can, as stated, be used, thereby enabling 60 them to be moved more or less close together and to regulate the resiliency of the whole construction, by regulating the tension of the cables 9.

The cables 9 are fixed in the following man- 65 ner at their ends in the case in which the mattress construction is used, for example, for a bed or a spring mattress. The end of the cable 9 passes through a rubber plug I1 (Figure 12) then through a metal washer I8 and it is held 70 there by a knot which is soldered or not. An oval very elongated and open shaped sheet metal collar I9, cut out on one side in the form of a fork 20 having two prongs, leaves in the middle an opening for the passage of the cable 9 and of 75 'the sheath I5 which abuts against the rubber plug I1 inside the collar I9. -The second sheath I6 remains Aoutside the collar and abuts against the latter, whereas on the other side it abuts against the rst row.

Said collar I9 is closed after the passage of the cable 9 and the sheath I5, by any suitable means. Through the various collars a metal tube 2| is then passed both for the lower row and for the upper one.

The mattress construction could, moreover, be used non-suspended, without collars or tension tubes and solely as the resilient inner upholstery of a mattress for example.

It is understood that the resilient unit can be constructed in a fairly large number of different shapes while remaining within the limits of the invention. Figure 14 and the following illustrate some by way of examples, but their description is not limitative.

Figures 14, 15 and 16 show forms of units having likewise the appearance of a recumbent M, but such forms dier from that of Figure 1 by the direction of winding of the various coils and consequently by the position of the various rectilinear parts 2 and 3, with respect to the mean plane of the unit. These units are assembled in rows as stated above and the rows are assembled together in the same manner.

The diagrammatic Figure 14 corresponds to a modification of the unit according to Figure 1, this modification consists in eliminating the coil 'I and replacing it by a simple curve 'Ie joining the arms 3.

Figures 15 and 16 are obtained from Figures 1 and 14 by arranging in the opposite direction with respect to the arms 2, the angle of the arms 3 which angle can have at its summit a coil 1f (Fig. 15) or a simple uniting curve 'Ig (Fig. 16).

Figure 17 illustrates diagrammatically a unit, the height of which has been doubled by giving it four arms 3 and by adding to the coil 1 two other coils 1h. In Figure 21 it will be seen how two units of this type can be assembled by uniting three coils by means of tubular rivets 22, thereby enabling the whole construction to be deformed resiliently in accordance with the known principle of the Nuremberg scissors.

It remains, moreover, understood that these various forms can be constructed with a greater number of coils and that the number of coils per arm can vary according to the development of the arms which is likewise variable.

The resilient unit can be made of wire of any thickness and of wire of various shapes: round, oval, square, triangular, flat, etc. The wire can be single or in the form of cable having several strands twisted together, covered with textile materials or with rubber, or covered with a winding of other wire.

The invention also concerns, by way of new industrial products, the various objects which can be constructed by the use of the said mattress construction, such as spring mattresses, mattresses, seats, cushions, carpets, resilient walls and hangings for absorbing noise and vibration.

It has been stated hereinbefore that the coils 4, la, and 5a which are the coils for coupling the units together have a number of turns preferably equal to or less than half of that of the coils 6, 6a and 1; in this manner after assembly and after interposing if necessary a washer between the assembled coils 4 and 5 on the one hand, 4a and 5a on the other hand, the whole of said assembled coils has the same length as the coils 6 and 6a. In this case all the coils of an assembled row have the same length .and the rows are assembled together with a single type of spacing pieces, except, however. at the edges 5 as already stated.

It should lalso be noted that the recumbent M-shaped member which forms each unit can be replaced by any other equivalent member conditionally on satisfying the conditions indicated and of attaining the object aimed at.

I claim: l

1. An element of a spring structure for seats, mattresses, cushions, and the like, constituted by a wire in the form of a polygon open on one side l5 and having two outer arms connected together at one of their ends by at least two inner arms, said wire having coils formed respectively at the free end and at a point intermediate the ends of each outer arm, and at the angles between the 20 arms, in such wise that each of said outer arms has three coils with coplanar axes, the coils at the ends of each outer arm having substantially half the number of turns of the intermediate coil thereof, while the axial direction of winding of the coils alternates from coil to coil in each of the outer arms.

2. A spring structure for seats, mattresses, cushions and the like, comprising a plurality of elements each constituted by a wire in the form of a polygon open on one side and having two outer arms connected together at one of their ends by at least two inner arms, said wire having coils formed respectively at the free end, and at a point intermediate the ends of each outer arm, and at the angles between the arms, in such wise that each of said outer arms has three coils with coplanar axes, the coils at the ends of each outer arm having substantially half the number o1 turns of the intermediate coil thereof, while the axial direction of winding of the coils alternates from coil to coil in each of the outer arms, and means for assembling said elements together in a uniformly aligned row which in plan has the form of a fret, the coils at the free ends of the outer arms of an element abutting the coils at theopposite ends of the outer arms of the following element. 1

3. A spring structure for seats, mattresses, cushions and the like, comprising a plurality of elements each constituted by a wire in the form of a polygon open on one side and having two outer arms connected together at one of their ends by at least two inner arms, said wire having coils formed respectively at the free end, and at a point intermediate the ends, of each outer arm, and at the angles between the arms, in such wise that each of said outer arms has three coils with coplanar axes, the coils at the ends of each outer arm having substantially half the number 00 of turns of the intermediate coil thereof, while the axial direction of winding of the coils alternates from coil to coil in each of the outer arms, means for assembling said elements together in a uniformly aligned row which in plan has the form of a fret, the coils at the free ends of the outer arms of an element abutting the coils at the opposite ends of the outer arms of the following element, and means passing through the three coils of each outer arm of an element for assembling together rows of elements in parallel spaced relation.

4. A spring structure for seats, mattresses, cushions, and the like, comprising a plurality of elements each constituted by a wire in the form mediate the ends ot each of the outer arms of the M, and at the angles between the arms, the coils at the ends of each outer arm having substantially halt the number of turns of the intermediate coil thereof, while the axial direction of winding of the coils alternates from coil to coil, means for assembling said elements together in a w uniformly aligned rowV which in plan has the form of a i'ret, the coils at the free ends of the outer arms of an element abutting the coils at the opposite ends of the outer arms of the followingv element, and means passing through the three coils oi' each outer arm of an element for assembling together rows oi' elements in parallel spaced relation, the direction of the chevrons of the M being reversed from row to row.

SALOMON ROSENFELD. 1 

